A Healing Cuisine 食補 ── 中國吃的藝術

Chinese cuisine is widely known and enjoyed in all four corners of the world. Who could not confess to longing for a favorite Chinese dish? But there is one interesting concept concerning Chinese food which is almost unheard of in the West, and which is becoming increasingly ignored by the youth of the East—the ancient custom of “tonic food.”

Tonic food is food which is consumed to improve one’s well-being, or stave off sickness, particularly at times when one is more prone to illness. For instance, it was once the custom for new mothers to eat a sesame- oil hot pot every day for the first month after giving birth. It was believed that this dish would benefit the muscles, reduce pain, improve circulation, stimulate sweating, and warm the body.

In fact, these Chinese beliefs parallel some Western theories of health, although each takes a different path toward the very same goal. Western medicine actually recommends some of the exact same ingredients that make up the chicken hot pot dish. Sesame oil has been found to promote contraction of the womb while providing lots of calories, and chicken meat is particularly high in protein. Any Western doctor should be happy to suggest such a Chinese dish after childbirth.

The elderly, weak, and young can also benefit greatly from tonic foods, especially during the winter. Some foods, such as goat meat and spinach, are seen as “hot,” while others, such as Chinese cabbage and radish, are seen as “cold.” One should be careful not to eat too much of either “hot” or “cold” food. However, how much “hot” or “cold” food one should eat depends on the time of the year, how the food is prepared and what it is prepared with, and the individual’s health.

“Warm” or “cool” tonic foods are strongly recommended. The choices for “warm” and “cool” foods range from simple sea cucumber to the delicacy of bird’s nest soup, depending on the individual’s economic circumstances.

The concept of tonic food is far from losing credibility, either with Westerners or practitioners of modern medicine. For example, up until two years ago, tonic foods were added to the meals served at a renowned hospital.

The custom of prescribing tonic foods for a healthier life also spills over into the catering industry. Although tonic foods themselves are losing popularity among the younger generation, Chinese herbal medicines, such as wolfberry fruit, can be found on many a restaurant menu, either added to fruit tea or as a beneficial addition to a dish. These herbs attract customers, such as over-worked office staff, in need of a modest pick-me-up.

So, whether you need to boost your masculinity with a large helping of bull penis, or increase your mental powers with a serving of pig’s brain soup, you may find that this ancient Chinese custom could be just the tonic you were looking for.

中國菜譽滿天下，為全世界人所喜愛。誰敢說自己不想嘗一道美味的中國佳肴？不過中國菜有個有趣的觀念──“食補”，這個古老的習俗在西方幾乎是前所未聞，而在東方則逐漸被年輕人忽視。

食補是指通過食用某些食物以增進健康，或防止疾病，尤其在人容易生病的時候。舉個例子，在過去的習俗里，產婦在產后一個月內每天都要吃麻油雞。人們認為這道菜對肌肉有益，并能減輕疼痛、促進循環、刺激排汗和暖和身子。

事實上，這些中國人的信念與西方的某些健康理論相似，可謂殊途同歸。西方醫學確實建議攝食幾種和麻油雞材料相同的成份。經證實麻油可以促進子宮收縮，同時提供高熱量，而雞肉的蛋白質含量特別高。西方國家的醫生應該也樂于建議婦女產后食用這道中國菜。

老年人、體弱者和年輕人也可以從食補中獲得很大收益，尤其在冬季。一些像羊肉和菠菜之類的食物，被視為“熱性”食物，其它如大白菜及小紅蘿卜等，則被視為“涼性”食物。要注意熱性或涼性的食物都不能吃太多。而熱性及涼性食物攝食的多少，則應視時令、烹飪方式、烹飪調料及個人體質而定。

“溫性”與“涼性”食物受到大力推薦。“溫性”與 “涼性”食物的選擇從簡單的海參到美味的燕窩湯不等，視個人經濟情況而定。

對西方人或現代醫學的醫生而言，食補的概念還遠未喪失其可信度。比如大約兩年前，一家著名的醫院就將食補納入其供餐服務中。

將食補作為養生之道的習俗也影響到了公共飲食業。雖然食補在年輕人中受歡迎的程度正在減退，但在許多餐廳的菜單中都能看到中藥，像枸杞被加到水果茶中或是被當作有益的配料使用。這些中藥吸引了需要適度提神的顧客，如加班時間過長的上班族等。

因此，不管你是需要大力借助牛鞭來提振男性雄風，還是用豬腦湯來增進你的腦力，你會發現古老的中國食補習俗可能就是你在尋覓的補藥。